Hudson Valley Resident Makes Baseball History

On Tuesday, Mariano Rivera became the first player in baseball history unanimously selected into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Yankee legend is a Westchester County resident.

“Congratulations to Yankee great Mariano Rivera for his election to the baseball Hall of Fame," Westchester County Executive George Latimer said in a statement. "Even this Met fan can admit that this unanimous vote is well deserved and solidifies his place in baseball history. Rivera, our favorite Sandman, isn’t just a tremendous athlete but he is also a humanitarian who has given back and helped those in need. We are proud of him, and proud to call him a Westchester resident.”

Local officials have praised Rivera for giving back to the Hudson Valley through donation drives and other charitable events.

Rivera became the first player elected unanimously by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America

“Being the first player to be unanimous is amazing. It’s hard to put into words how I feel,” Rivera said, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. "I wasn’t expecting to be a Hall of Famer when I was playing baseball. I was just happy to be in the big leagues and give the New York Yankees as many championships as I could."

Rivera helped the Yankees win five World Series championships. Using his famous cutter he finished with 652 saves, the most in MLB history. He led the American League in saves three times and finished with 40-or-more saves nine times, which ties him for the most all-time with Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman.

In 96 postseason appearances, Rivera finished 8-1 with 42 saves and a 0.70 ERA. He was named the World Series MVP in 1999 and ALCS MVP in 2003.